Pterodactyls Swarming
by NudistParrot
Summary: Honey, gonna turn back time – I'm gonna save your life. Doctor Whooves/Twilight Sparkle. AU


_A/N: And sometimes I write about ponies when I'm not writing about gay dead samurai._

* * *

_I must get to my machine, I will bring you back to life.**  
**Fix your ruined lungs, I'll undo what time has done._

_I crashed before the birth of Christ,  
__Pterodactyls Swarming.  
__You died in 1989.  
__I want to go back to the morning in May.  
__Keep you in bed, never escape, holding you close,  
__Listen to you breathe the evening glow  
__of fading light and cooling space._

_-Broken Bride Part I by Ludo_

And really none of this was supposed to happen, but, by Celestia, what ever was meant to happen? If everything went right, she wouldn't be dead, and he wouldn't be here and it would all be okayokayokay.

It's a flash of light and a crash and a hoarse grind of machinery. _(-breath, twilight, breath!) _He's screaming in anger cursing and slamming his hooves. Then he's crying.

She was dead.

He was a Pegasus by damn, not a unicorn, time travel and magic were not his place.

Well, travel travel maybe, but you need a steady—stable—mind, something he lacked. _(-don't close your eyes look at me darling its going to be okay discord is beaten its over its over its over)_

But it wasn't over. It wasn't okay.

Really Discord had won. Discord had taken it all from her, from him. Discord knew just where to hit where it hurt and he did it to them all. The only real threat where the Elements and the Doctor with his machine.

Break apart the elements, one threat down. Friends gone, lives torn apart, Discord had ruled for a year while Twilight Sparkle and Doctor Whooves plotted his downfall. But Twilight died a little more each day. She watched her friends fight and scream and sometimes there was blood and broken bones and more often bruises and chocolate rain. Oh and Pinkie Pie was serving Discord's side and why did it have to come down to this?

She had sought him out when her friendships broke apart. She had heard a lot about him—he was smart and magical in a way a Pegasus should not be. He was book smart and street smart and time smart. He knew of violence and he knew of peace. Twilight Sparkle needed his help and his comfort. He took her in and they started planning—started bonding—started falling in love.

She had tried and she had been so very tired.

He was there for her, always always always.

But eventually, she snapped, broke and Discord laughed, swatted her to the side and it was too late—he was too late. A snarl of a lion and a jaw like a dragon. She could face him, she said, she would make him stop, she said. She would break his spell, bring her friends back and it was her battle. The Doctor only arrived when it was too late.

_(-"stop this discord!"_

_a crash and the ground moved, a scream and a cry and nononono not now not ever stopstopstop_

"**TWILIGHT!**"

_hooves on rocks, feathers and blood. _

"_what have you done?" tears and crying and _

"_i'm okay, doctor, i swear—i promise—cross my heart and hope to _die._"_

_she wasn't okay she would never be okay. broken bones and ribs and a horn chipped and oh celestia why didn't you just save her.)_

And Discord was a murderer, even if not by his own hands. Indirectly or not, he was a monster. (- "_tell me something i haven't heard.")_

And so the second threat was gone. With Twilight gone, The Doctor was broken beyond repair, just like her body.

And so he went back in time, he would undo everything, go back, fix it, stop it, oh please please please.

The Doctor hid himself away as he tinkered with coils and switches. His sleep was haunted by her broken body, her cheerful demeanor, oh please just come back. His body was contorted over diagrams and mathematical equations in a police box almost out of place in the world of ponies. _(-sometimes he thought maybe he didn't belong here. maybe he lived in an alternate dimension and how did he even know so much about machines and time travel?)_

But he miscalculated—a jerk, his back slammed against a wall of rock, his breath knocked from his lungs. _(-"you okay doctor?" a giggle as she patted him on the back.. "maybe we should take a break. discord's not going anywhere.") _Wings twisted awkwardly, body slammed to the ground of mud and rock, tossed like a rag doll far from his machine.

The lights when out and what had he done?

He just wanted to hold her again he just wanted to tell her he loved her _he just wanted her back._

He felt defeated. Because Discord_ had_ won. The rocks cradled her broken body and he buried her in the royal courtyard. But now, as he opened his eyes, here he was, so far back in time, dragons screamed from outside and ponies probably didn't even exist yet.

It was hell. His own personal hell.

He stared at it, the monsters screaming and no Discord but almost worse. No words, they had not developed yet. The world in its infancy and it was terrifying. Raptors and pterodactyls and dragons and scaled maybe—could be—might have been—ponies.

_Oh baby, baby, how I lost my mind  
Time is quite the killer when you're left behind  
The airbag held you 'til the engine slept  
At home your pillow cooled while the willows wept _

_-Part II: Tonight's the Night by Ludo_

He had lost his mind. Did he really think he could bring her back? No. He couldn't. He could turn back time as far as he wanted, but he could not undo what time had done. He could not mend her broken bones, her broken heart. He could not mend himself.

And he looked at the monsters—this hell—right in the face—

_(-"we can make it through this, doctor. together we can restore harmony." a soft touch and she believed in him. _

"_we can't beat discord. he's already won."_

"_you can do anything if you try, but you have to try.")_

—And he spit in it.

He loved her so much.

He jumped up—his hooves creating an echo—he could do it. He would save her life.

His wings spread and he took flight, weaving and just had Rainbow Dash had taught him. The creatures screamed, hissed and some took flight after him. He would get away, he would get to his machine. _(- "don't ever ever ever leave.")_

"I'm coming for you, love," he hissed, ignoring the taste of blood in his mouth. (**-**_**"**__what reason would i have to do such a thing, twi?")_His wings were sore but he had to find it, looking for a strange twist of machinery among the trees and the tar.

And there it was, a flash of blue among the green. He threw his head back to see his pursuers before locking his eyes onto his goal. His wings folded in and he dove, spinning and and slamming into it with almost as much force as he was knocked out of it.

He jumped up, hooves on the controls, it was a frantic pressing of buttons and cursing. Start working you piece of—oh come on I don't have all day—just a little more—that's it—need to readjust this—okay that should do it—now to—there!

A growl of mechanical gears and whirl of everything else. There was a lurch and a flash and the welcoming feeling of his stomach twisting. He counted to ten in his head and held his breath until his lungs burned.

"Here I come."

The machine was shaking, too much too much. He wouldn't make it. The Doctor panicked, slammed his hooves down on a lever. He so so so stupid. The machine hissed and screamed.

"No."

A flash as the lights flickered.

It went silent. Where was he now? His mind was too burdened—too unstable. He couldn't think, couldn't calculate.

He stepped into the royal courtyard—with turned to stone ponies and no turned to stone Discord. A grave under the trees and the sun had long since been clouded over by what chaos Discord saw fit.

He was back where he started.

Ponies were crying and screaming. Where was Celestia and Luna and the Elements long since gone. He cursed and Discord laughed.

"You thought you could bring her back?" He coiled around the pony. "How funny!"

Doctor Whooves shook with fury, his wings ruffled and his eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared.

"You monster."

Discord smiled and Pinkie Pie, with straight straight straight hair, walked up behind him.

And that was that, he would go out fighting.

"What can I say? I'm a demon," Discord turned his back and started to walk away. "But who are you to stop me?" A sharp question. "Just a pony who can't do anything without his lovely Twilight to keep him in line. Maybe you should go see her for help. You know so you can stop me." He waved his clawed hand towards the grave under the trees.

Fight fire with fire. Doctor Whooves had demons of his own.

"Take that back." He snarled.

Discord met his eyes steadily.

"_(-I love you, darling doctor, so just beat discord for me?)_" A perfect imitation of Twilight's voice, her dying words, broken as her ribs among the rubble.

The Doctor couldn't move. "S-stop."

_(-"shh, honey, don't speak...you'll be okay, just be strong, okay?")_

Discord took a step closer to him—he took a step back, inching into his machine.

"_(-its too late for me, but please, save them—)_" Discord broke off, with a sharp halt of breath that was too familiar and nonono, a smirk of a demon and his fangs gleaming.

Doctor Whooves was shaking, his hooves meeting steel, his hair and feathers bristling in anger and depression.

_(-"doctor, do you know what it's like to be in love?"_

_he had shook his head._

"_well i think I do." she had smiled at him and it was beautiful and perfect and just bring her back.)_

"How funny Twilight was to put her faith into you! Doctor, you can't save anyone!" Discord snarled and you could almost see a flash of recognition within Pinkie Pie's eyes.

"All you have is your machine and we all have seen what good that is." He laughed and the Doctor snapped.

"You are wrong." The Doctor placed his hoof on a switch. "You are so very wrong, Discord. I have demons of my own and your reign is about to come to a screeching halt."

"Is it now?" A laugh.

"Yes." He flipped the switch, and kicked back at the control box. The machine shook, glowed and Discord flinched slightly.

"This time I'll take you with me!"

The last of the power of the machine pulsed, grew and there was a flash of light and heat. It was an explosion that engulfed them both and the machine.

_I watched these people fall**  
**the dragon shrieks and burns it all**  
**I flip the circuits on, I've got dragons of my own**  
**The portal glows and my machine's destroyed_

_-Part III: The Lamb and The Dragon_

And it was over, Discord was beaten but the pain in his heart did not cease. He opened his eyes, expecting to see prehistoric beasts but all he saw was white, a blinding white.

"So this is the afterlife." He sighs and lays his head down.

"I'm afraid not, Doctor."

It's Princess Celestia and Pinkie Pie and Rairty and Applejack and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Its bright and there's color and the smell of hay and beauty and where oh where is Twilight Sparkle?

The Princess takes a step forward and the Doctor would rather have died.

"Why did you save me?" His voice is gruff and broken.

"I cannot bring her back, but I can send you back."

And he knows that if he goes back he can't save her.

"I know she will die, but can I at least say goodbye?" he's chocking and she nods.

The Princess leans down and touches her horn to his forehead.

Smiles all around and he knows the future will not change, but the Princess knows what to do.

The light fades. He's standing in the courtyard and despite the chaos, there is no grave and the disorder is comforting. He takes a step towards the Castle.

"Doctor! There you are! What took so long?"

He bites his lip, shaking and trying not to cry.

"Twilight." He gallops up to her, nuzzling and nipping and licking and kissing and "Twilight, Twilight, Twi, Twi, it really is you."

She laughs and giggles and "Of course, its me silly!"

His heart is beating so hard and he loves her so much. He feels about ready to burst.

"I missed you, I love you, I love you, _iloveyou._"

She's beautiful as always and perfect. He fell in love with her the moment she came to him. She was so broken and he could never put all the pieces back together, but at least when they were together, they could pretend.

She pushes him away softly. "What had gotten into you?" a smile and a blush, then, "I love you too."

She steps back and its all happening in slow motion. Its happening just like before and it's tearing him apart.

"But I have to go find Discord. This has to stop." She's serious and its just like before. "You should stay here."

"But—"

"I insist. This is my battle."

He steps forward.

"I am coming with you." The most stern she had ever seen him and she's drawn back.

"Doctor—"

"Please, Twilight, we are in this together. Always and forever."

_You check the clock, it's time to go  
You grab your keys and you're out the door  
I step outside and you're waving goodbye  
It's all happening again like before  
as you're starting the car and I'm tearing inside  
I knock on your window, you stop just in time  
Around to the other side  
I say, "Baby, I thought I'd come along for the ride."_

_I've been waiting for so long_  
_(Time slows, and I take your hand)_  
_to touch you and sleep in your eyes_  
_(I hold you as we lose control)_  
_Together our hearts beating so hard_  
_Hold on, baby, we're almost home_

_-Part IV: Morning in May_

The ground gives away and he's right there, holding her and clutching her and he lifts his wings. The shock of it all resulted in a badly damaged slide for the first few feet down the rock wall.

Discord is laughing and so is the Doctor.

The rocks are crumbling and Twilight is staring at him, it's happening too fast and too slow all the same time. A rock hits his wings, it collapses from misuse and there is no way to change it.

"I love you." He whispers and it was okay, it was perfect. There was no pain, they were complete.

"I love you too." She replies and she means in and they had fell in love so very very fast—but she knew, now, they could move on. Celestia would beat Discord and they would mourn_ but it was all okay_

More rocks smash his wings and he's smiling through the pain and they were going home. He pulls her close and she's smiling too. No more to do, they let go of the world together.

The rocks cradle their bodies and it was so so so perfect—it was a statement of harmony.


End file.
